In the end, at both Salzburg and Leipzig, the fans identified themselves with the style of football that we were playing. And this, for me, is a very decisive factor. Identity among the players, the staff and the fans brought everyone together.
The second C is for competence. We try to find the best possible people for each job, guaranteeing competence across the club.
It is key to have a competent and excellently trained staff in every position, and to challenge them every day to make themselves and the club better.
“I was honoured when Klopp suggested I might be the best German coach”
My network helped me in this regard with Salzburg and Leipzig – I already knew where many of the best people were, and I knew a lot of them well. Once I had identified them, it was my job to convince them to come on the journey with us.
The third and final C is for capital – or cash. There is no doubt that financial backing enabled us to implement the philosophy we wanted to start with, but at the same time it is by no means a replacement for concept and competence – it has to work together with these other fundamental pillars.
Capital is a limited-success factor. Alone, it is far from enough. What’s more, concept and competence, if you use them well, will generate capital.
The three Cs go together, hand in hand – and the chances of real success increase if all three Cs come together.